If ever there was a gala that puts the fun in fundraising, it’s Art Production Fund’s annual themed bonanza. With an unrivaled ability to make adult New Yorkers embrace a theme with aplomb, the latest installment saw guests join the organization while kitted out in inflatable outfits, ski goggles, and fur stoles for a Chalet Chic-style benefit.
Hosted at The Seagram Building, a hulking ice bar in the lobby featuring the evening’s custom designed logo was the first thing that greeted attendees. Created by Queens-based Okamoto, the chilled counter housed welcome shots of Absolut Tabasco Vodka—signaling the level of merriment to come. (Look closer, and there were also hollowed out parts that stashed loose cigarettes.)
After a quick nostalgia trip thanks to Kelly Wall’s Wistful Thinking custom penny press, guests made their way upstairs to The Grill, where waiters and bar tenders had donned puffer jackets and Moncler beanies to pass out crowd-pleasing pigs-in-a-blanket and soft pretzels. In the center of the room, artist Amanda Ross-Ho was doing her best Tonya Harding impression—albeit in a skeleton onesie, instead of a sequin leotard—by ice skating on a faux strip of ice.
“How many galas do you go to,” Gabriela Palmieri, the art advisor who led the paddle raise round, asked the crowd of 300 people once they were seated for dinner in The Pool. “Yes—but how many do you want to go to?” Using her shot glass as a gavel and wearing Moon Boots and a poncho, she led a record-breaking fundraising round which contributed to the $1,000,000 total raised by the event.
Proceeds from the evening will go towards furthering Art Production Fund’s mission: commissioning and producing ambitious and thought-provoking contemporary art projects for the public. “Because of you, art becomes more inclusive, more accessible, and more impactful,” the nonprofit’s longtime executive director, Casey Fremont, said. “To be sure everyone in the room knows exactly what work they’re supporting, here’s a bit about what we do at APF: we keep overhead down and we maximize efficiency, operating as a full-time team of only three. In the past couple of weeks you may have seen us outside Frieze Los Angeles; installing, schlepping, and guarding public artwork.” By her side, an expectant Kathleen Lynch, director of operations, nodded and smiled with her hand on her baby bump.
As always, author—and good gala food enthusiast—Sarah Hoover was back to curate a spread that wouldn’t have looked out of place at the foot of Ajax Mountain. Think: cheese fondue, chicken schnitzel, and whipped potatoes laced in garlic, followed by s’mores and ice cream sandwiches. Between bites, people popped downstairs to the famed ladies loo for beauty touch-ups, thanks to Amazon Luxury and Clé de Peau.
To the sounds of the Polar Bears—a DJ duo in EDM-style bobble heads—guests stayed late, drinking mini mugs of hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps and even obliged in shot-skis. Why rush home? “This is the most comfy I’ve ever felt at a gala,” remarked Jennifer Fisher, in solopettes and a fur hat.
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